


The Hunter & the Recluse

by AceDelta12



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Bernadetta likes to be carried by Petra, Eventual Romance, F/F, First Kiss, Petra speaks Hawaiian, Romantic Fluff, Swimming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:28:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27125200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AceDelta12/pseuds/AceDelta12
Summary: This story follows Bernadetta von Varley and her crush, Petra Macneary, as they discover their love for each other and grow together. More tags will be added as needed.
Relationships: Petra Macneary/Bernadetta von Varley
Kudos: 7





	The Hunter & the Recluse

**Author's Note:**

> Bernadetta is relaxing by the lake, and Petra arrives without knowing she's there.
> 
> Hawaiian & English translations at the bottom of the chapter.

Bernadetta sat on the rocks next to the lake in her lavender onepiece swimsuit and matching swimming skirt, watching the waterfall drop into the lake below.

"It's so peaceful..." she said to herself. "The birds chirping, the water rushing... So easy to lose yourself in an environment like this..."

She saw something moving on the other side of the lake.

Petra walked up, wearing a dark purple bikini. She took a minute to undo her braid, letting her long hair flow freely in the breeze, and slowly dipped into the lake, not noticing she was there. Bernadetta silently went behind one of the larger rocks so she could watch Petra without being seen.

"Mahanahana loa ka wai i kēia lā." Petra said. Bernadetta didn't understand a word of what she said, but she could tell from the tone of voice that Petra was surprised by the water, but welcomed that surprise.

Petra deeply inhaled, and slipped silently beneath the surface of the water. Bernadetta slowly came out from behind the rock a little bit to see her better.

Though the lake was small, a semi-circle only about fifteen to twenty yards across, it was almost ten yards deep.

Bernadetta watched Petra swim to the bottom of the lake and sighed, unaware of the obvious blush on her face.

Petra loved swimming in the lake. She came here every free day around noon. At multiple requests (mostly by Raphael), the monastery's dining hall was open at all hours on the free day.

But her attention wasn't on the dining hall. It was on her weekly swim.

The water was warm that day, and she thoroughly enjoyed it. Even though it was the summertime, when most people would prefer a colder water temperature, Petra still preferred the soft warmth of the lake.

She swam to the bottom and rested on the soft lake floor, looking up at the surface of the water. She enjoyed looking at the sky from this point, watching the green of the trees mix with the blue sky, and the sun's rays shining into the water. That last detail was Petra's personal favorite. The rays almost looked like she could touch them.

After a few minutes, Petra propelled herself off the lake floor and broke the surface, needing another breath of fresh air.

She deeply inhaled, then exhaled. "E like me koʻu makemake e noho lōʻihi ma laila, pono wau e piʻi i luna no ka ea i ka hopena."

Bernadetta tried to quickly hide behind the rock again, but she slipped and landed on her elbow.

"Ow!" she said, completely forgetting about keeping quiet as she rubbed her elbow.

Petra sharply turned in the direction of the noise. "ʻO wai ma laila?! He aha ka hana āu e hana nei ma aneʻi?!"

Bernadetta immediately stopped moving. She didn't dare breathe. The only thing she did was hope the rock was blocking her.

"Aloha? Aia 'oe i laila?" Petra asked.

Bernadetta curled into a ball. She couldn't understand what Petra was saying, and it was frightening her. For all she knew, Petra was cursing her.

"Hiki iā ʻoe ke hoʻolohe iaʻu?"

Petra swam to the side of the lake and climbed out, slowly walking toward the rock. "Aloha?"

She heard crying. She decided to walk closer. "Maikaʻi paha 'oe?"

When she placed her hand on the rock, she heard a loud "PLEASE DON'T CURSE ME PETRA! I NEVER MEANT TO INTRUDE ON YOU!"

Petra took a step back. "He aha ka mea āu e kamaʻilio mai nei?!"

Bernadetta got up and tried to run, but tripped.

"Bernadetta?" Petra said. "Please take my apologies! I was not knowing it was you."

Bernadetta tried to drag herself away, but her back hit a tree.

"Bernadetta?" Petra asked, genuine worry on her face. "Are you OK?"

"Okay? OKAY?! DOES THIS LOOK OKAY TO YOU?!" Bernadetta screamed.

Petra was even more worried. Bernadetta was having her worst anxiety attack since arriving at the monastery.

Thinking of nothing else to try and help, Petra knelt down and pulled Bernadetta into a soft hug.

After several minutes, Bernadetta started to calm down. She slowly crawled into Petra's lap, curling into a ball.

"Your skin is soft..." she mumbled.

Petra slowly ran her hand through Bernadetta's hair.

Bernadetta smiled and closed her eyes. "Mmm...that feels good..." she said.

After a bit, Petra began to use her fingernails, slowly scratching the top of Bernadetta's head.

Bernadetta opened her eyes and looked into Petra's.

"Bernadetta, what is that expression you are having?" Petra asked. "It is making my cheeks blush."

"If you lean down closer to me, I can show you what my expression means." Bernadetta said, feeling a wave of confidence.

Petra didn't take the bait. "You have cleverness, Bernadetta. But I am knowing what you are planning."

"Then I guess you'll never find out the true meaning of my expression." Bernadetta teased.

Petra knew she was trapped. She loved to learn, and Bernadetta was unwilling to let her learn something unless she took the bait.

Before she had the chance to decide, Bernadetta pulled Petra's head down toward her and firmly kissed her lips.

After about ten seconds, Bernadetta slowly let go of Petra's head and sat up, still sitting on her lap.

"D-did you like it, Petra?" Bernadetta asked. "You didn't think I was rushing it?"

"You were with boldness, and I have admiration for you because of it." Petra said. "I...I was liking it. But I am thinking we should grow a bond together. We need to be taking it with slowness."

"Does t-that mean...?" Bernadetta said.

"I am accepting of your feelings, Bernadetta." Petra said. "But Dorothea was telling me some time ago that love is more than just the fuzzy feelings."

Bernadetta leaned into Petra's shoulder. "I just want to wrap you in a hug and kiss you and never let you go..." Bernadetta said.

Without warning, Bernadetta felt herself being lifted. Next thing she knew, Petra was holding her bridal-style.

"You are not the only one that is hiding a trick." Petra said.

Giggling, Bernadetta kissed her again.

"I am wondering something." Petra said. "You are also wearing your outfit for swimming. Would you like to swim in the lake with me?"

Bernadetta was so ecstatic she nearly fell out of Petra's arms. Go swimming with her crush? How could she refuse that?!

"If you'll set me down, I can." Bernadetta said.

Petra lowered her arm that supported Bernadetta's legs, and the two walked hand-in-hand back to the lake.

"Have you ever been swimming in this lake before?" Petra asked.

"Only in the shallow section behind the waterfall..." Bernadetta admitted. "It's much more shallow there than the rest of the lake, and the waterfall makes me feel protected..."

"The waterfall is forming a wall, and you feel it is protecting you, because not many would think to check behind it." Petra said. "I have understanding."

"It's also dark behind the waterfall, because the sun's rays can't get through." Bernadetta said. "I like swimming in the dark..."

"I am understanding." Petra said. "Do you want to swim now, or come back tonight?"

"Now is fine." Bernadetta said. "Though I wouldn't mind coming back tonight, if that's okay with you."

"I've never been swimming in the darkness before." Petra said. "It will be an interesting experience to be having."

"I've never been out here at night..." Bernadetta said. "So that'll be new."

"Do you want to be going in first, Bernadetta? I will be waiting a few minutes, if that is what you are wanting."

"Actually, Petra...I was wondering if you would hold me like that again while you leap off the waterfall into the lake." Bernadetta said. She then covered her mouth as she realized what she just said.

"Are you with certainty?" Petra asked. "The waterfall is forty feet in height. Even I have not jumped off of it into the lake."

"Then it's a first time for both of us." Bernadetta said, acknowledging that she really did request for Petra to leap off of the waterfall while carrying her. "But yes. I **do** want that. It'll be scary, but I want to try it."

The two girls walked up the hill and reached the river that went to the waterfall. To their right, they could see where it ended.

"I will be warning you, Bernadetta." Petra said. "While I may have fast running, I will be slowed down when carrying you."

Bernadetta stood closer to Petra, and Petra swept her up in her arms, cautiously stepping into the river. The rushing water went up to her knees.

In front of them, just fifteen feet away, was the edge.

"Are you with readiness, Bernadetta?" Petra asked.

"Y-yes, I'm ready..." Bernadetta said nervously. "But I'm nervous...

"I am also having nervousness..." Petra said. "But we will be going through it together."

"Okay... I'll count down." Bernadetta said. "Five...four..."

Petra took a step back with her right foot and leaned a little bit forward.

"Three...two..."

Petra and Bernadetta clutched each other as hard as they could.

" **One**!"

Petra took off running towards the edge, carrying Bernadetta, who had her eyes squeezed shut and was clinging to Petra for dear life.

Petra leapt off the edge, and the two girls clung to each other as tightly as possible, Bernadetta's head tight against Petra's shoulder.

Time slowed to a crawl as they fell. They could feel the air travelling **through** them rather than just around them. They listened to the nature around them as they fell. The waterfall continued its eternal roaring as it dumped several thousand gallons of water into the lake endlessly. The leaves rustled with each other as the breeze blew through them. A small bird chirped the song it learned from its mother when it was a small chick. A squirrel climbed up a tree and disappeared into the tree hole it called home. A rabbit rustled through the tall grass, looking for its next vegetable to eat. A lizard swiftly crawled across a large rock, paused at the middle, then continued crawling.

The girls hit the water.

The water instantly surrounded them, and despite the forty-foot drop, they only just barely touched the bottom of the lake.

Still carrying Bernadetta, Petra swam up to the surface, taking a breath when the two emerged on the water's surface.

To Petra's surprise, Bernadetta was starting to laugh.

Petra couldn't help herself. She began to laugh too.

After a couple seconds of laughing, Bernadetta got a sly grin on her face before suddenly tackling Petra, bringing them both below the water. Petra managed to break free and return to the surface, Bernadetta quickly following suit.

Petra splashed Bernadetta, and the recluse was quick to retaliate in kind.

The two played together in the water for several hours before climbing out to sunbathe and dry off.

"That was fun." Bernadetta said. "I haven't had that much fun in a long time."

"I will be enjoying when we return here in the nighttime hours." Petra said.

Bernadetta rolled over so that she was next to Petra. "Um, Petra?"

"Yes?" Petra asked.

"You remember when we kissed, right?"

"Of course I am remembering. You gave me a surprise."

"Well...the thing is, it doesn't really count as a **kiss** unless both people do it..."

"So that was not our first time kissing?"

"Not really." Bernadetta admitted. "Do you want to have our first **real** kiss?"

Petra sat up. "A real kiss?"

"Yeah." Bernadetta said. "It's sort of like before, only you're kissing me the same time I'm kissing you."

Bernadetta sat up and put her hands on Petra's shoulders. "You're going to love it. I promise."

"I am readied for our first kissing." Petra said after a second.

Petra put one hand on Bernadetta's back, and the two leaned in close to each other. Their lips brushed against each other, and they slipped into a slow and soft, but loving, kiss.

A realization hit Bernadetta. She was kissing Petra. On the lips. **She was kissing Petra Macneary on the lips**.

And she loved it.

After a while, they broke the kiss.

"That was our first kiss..." Bernadetta said. "Did you like it?"

"Like it?" Petra asked. "I was loving it!"

The two girls hugged, then relaxed on the grass, looking up at the clouds and pointing out the shapes they made.

After a while of just laying in the grass, looking at the sky, Petra rolled onto her side and looked at Bernadetta. "I am thinking we need to be returning to the monastery. Shall we be returning?"

"Yes, let's head back. Can you carry me?" Bernadetta asked.

"If you are wanting it, I will be carrying you." Petra said.

"I do want that." Bernadetta said. "But we'll be returning here tonight, right?"

"Yes, we will be returning here tonight for our nighttime swimming." Petra said.

Petra swooped the recluse up in her arms and carried her back to the monastery, the two newfound lovers talking about the day they enjoyed together.

**Author's Note:**

> All Hawaiian & English translations:
> 
> "The water is very warm today."  
> "As much as I want to stay there longer, I have to climb up for air in the end."  
> "Who's there?! What are you doing here?!"  
> "Hello? Are you there?"  
> "Can you hear me?"  
> "Hello?"  
> "Are you OK?"  
> "What are you talking about?!"


End file.
